Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9950790-B2
Application number	US-201414198418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2014
Priority date	Jun 5, 2009
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.

First claim

We claim:

1. An air vehicle, comprising:
a processor;
at least one drive motor in communication with the processor;
a first flapping wing in communication with one of the at least one drive motor; and
a second flapping wing in communication with one of the at least one drive motors;
wherein the processor and the at least one drive motor are configured to drive the first and second flapping wings to provide lift and control moments without the benefit of either horizontal or vertical stabilizers;
wherein the processor is configured to provide commands resulting in first and second wing movement selected from the group consisting of: variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the first and second flappable wings in the course of respective sweep angles of travel, variable differential luffing of the respective first and second flapping wings, and variable and differential angular velocity of the respective first and second flapping wings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
means for providing respective deflection angles for both a forward stroke and a backward stroke of the first flapping wing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means for providing respective deflection angles comprises a boom restraining yoke rotatably coupled to a first boom of the first flapping wing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising first and second boom stops to engage the first flapping wing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
means for providing luffing of the first flapping wing.

Assignees

• Aerovironment Inc

Inventors

• Keennon Matthew Todd
• Klingebiel Karl Robert
• Andryukov Alexander
• Hibbs Bart Dean
• Zwaan John Peter

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64C33/02 Primary

  Wings; Actuating mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• B64C33/025 Primary

  the entire wing moving either up or down · CPC title

• B64C19/00

  Aircraft control not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C2201/025

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic